Generally cylindrical objects are used in various enterprises for many purposes, and are often quite large and so require equipment to be adapted for moving same. Pipes and tubing for example are commonly used in oil field application and must be lifted and maneuvered onto vehicles for transport and also during use at a work location. Commonly such pipes are maneuvered with a crane or the like by lowering a cable with a clamping apparatus, typically a set of pipe tongs, on the end thereof to engage the pipe tongs onto the pipe. Care must be taken that the pipe is positively engaged in the tongs in order to ensure the pipe does not slip out of the tongs and cause injury to workers below the pipe, and damage to equipment.
Such tongs are generally illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,068,036 to Doty, 4,097,084 to Russell and 4,743,056 to Oliason. These tongs are configured such that the tongs are engaged on the pipe by lifting up on the cable attached to the tongs. U.S. Pat. No. 2,873,995 to Turner discloses a clamp apparatus that has a pivoting tong that contacts the top of the pipe and moves to a closed position engaging the pipe as the clamp apparatus moves further down, and then the pivoting tong is latched such that a force upward on the handle raises the pipe. The clamp apparatus of Turner is grasped manually by a handle and placed on the pipe, and when the free tong is latched, forces on the handle or the apparatus generally do not affect the gripping action of the apparatus on the pipe.